Suction head mounting for vacuum clearing systems



June 10, 1958 w. w. HEWITT 2,837,774

SUCTION HEAD MOUNTING FOR VACUUM CLEARING SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 2 Women: W. HEWITT ATTORNEYS June 10, 1958 w. w. HEWITT sucnou HEAD MOUNTING FOR VACUUM CLEARING SYSTEMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1955 Woovaow W. Hewwr,

I INVENTOR ATTORNEY5 SUCTION HEAD MOUNTING FOR VACUUM CLEARING SYSTEMS Woodrow W. Hewitt, Charlotte, N. C., assignor to Spinsavac Corporation, Charlotte, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application August 9, 1955, Serial No. 527,262

7 Claims. (Cl. 19139) 7 This invention relates to vacuum clearing systems for textile drafting machines, such as spinning frames, drawing frames, and the like, and more particularly to an improved mounting for adjustably yet firmly supporting the suction head of a vacuum clearing system adjacent the lower front roll of such machines. Suction heads of vacuum clearing systems are usually rigidly fixed to the roll stands with the result that the suction heads are secured against movement relative to the lower front roll of the drafting machine. This has proven unsatisfactory inseveral respects since the suction heads hamper the tying of broken ends and make it difiicult to clean the suction heads which is periodically necessary. Also, suction heads which are fixed to the roll stands are in the way when it is necessary to perform any work adjacent the front rolls of the drafting machines.

For these and other reasons which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, it has been found desirable to provide means for adjustably mounting the suction head adjacent the lower front rolls so that the suction head may be readily moved into and out of operative position as desired. One means by which this may be accomplished is disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 498,146, filed March 31, 1955, and entitled Suction Head Mounting for Textile Machine Cleaning Systems, of which this application is a continuation in part.

It is an object of this invention to provide a suction head mounting which is an improvement over the disclosure of my said copending application in that it provides means for releasably clamping the suction head in operative position in addition to providing means for selectively moving the suction head into and out of operative position. It has. been found desirable to provide such clamping means in order to prevent vibration of the drafting machine from moving the suction head out of its proper position relative to the lower front drafting roll. The present invention provides means whereby the suction head maybe readily removed or adjusted, and also provides means for insuring that the suction head will remain in proper operating position as long as desired despite normal vibration of the machine.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a somewhat schematic front elevation showing a portion of a textile drafting machine equipped with my device;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section view taken substantially along the line 22 in Figure 1 and showing a set of top rolls resting on the bottom rolls;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Figure 2 and showing the preferred construction of the end closure members of the suction head;

- Patented June 10, 1958 ice Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the central portion of Figure 2, omitting the front roll, showing the suction head in operative position;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the suction head in non-operative position;

Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view of one of the improved mounting units removed from its roll stand and showing the link in its relaxed state;

Figure 8 is an enlarged elevation of one of the improved mounting units remove-d from its roll stand and showing the link in its relaxed state.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the frame or girt of a textile drafting machine such as a spinning frame, slubber, roving frame or the like. The frame 10 supports a plurality of roll stands 11 which accommodate lower or bottom drafting rolls 12, 13 and 14 and upper rolls 15, 16 and 17. A plurality of mating bosses 20 are positioned on each of the aforesaid rolls.

A vacuum clearing system is provided for removing loose ends and lint from the vicinity of the textile draft-' ing machine, said vacuum clearing system comprising a main suction duct 21 and a plurality of conduits 22. The duct 21 extends substantially the length of the drafting machine and each of the conduits 22 provides communication between the main suction duct 21 and a suction head 23, there being a suction head 23 disposed between each pair of roll stands 11. The suction heads 23 are provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots 24, each of which is positioned adjacent one of the bosses 20 on the lower front roll 12.

One end of the main suction duct is closed and the other end thereof leads to a source of suction, not shown, which creates a suction in the main suction duct 21, the conduit 22 and the'suction head 23. This results in air being drawn in the slot 24 to carry away lint and loose ends of fiber which may accumulate on the bosses 20.

In order to permit adjustment of the suction head 23 relative to the lower front roll 12, it is necessary to provide some means for readily moving the suction head 23 relative to the main suction duct 21. This may be accomplished by forming the conduit 22 of flexible material although it is to be understood that any suitable connection maybe used which permits the suction head 23 to be moved relative to the main suction duct 21.

The suction head is adjustably mounted between a pair of roll stands 11 by means of a pair of mounting units, broadly designated at 30, attached to the proximal surfaces of adjacent roll stands as by screws 31. The mounting units 30 are identical except opposite hands and each comprises a bracket or plate 32 having a depending flange 33, a resilient connecting link 34, and a bifurcated or slotted arm 35.

Each of the resilient links 34 preferably comprises a thin strip of flexible metal such as spring steel which has been bent to define a torsion leaf spring having a loop 40 in its medial portion and flattened end portions 41 and 42. The end portion 41 is fixed to the flange 33 as by screws or rivets 43 and the end portion 42 is adjustably connected to one end of the arm 35 as by an adjusting screw 43a. e

The arm 35 is slotted, as at 44, to receive a screw 45- to thereby prevent turbulence of air as it is drawn through the endmost slots 24 into the suction head 23.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, it will be observed that the free end 42 of each link 34 is normally disposed at a higher elevation than the fixed end 41 when the links 34 are relaxed. It will likewise be observed, particularly in Figure 7, that the free ends 42 are normally biased inwardly toward each other and away from their corresponding roll stand 11 when the links 34 are relaxed.

The suction head 23 may be readily installed in the mounting units 30 by passing the screws 45 which protrude from opposite ends of the suction head through the slots 44 in the bifurcated arm 35. Since the suction head 23 is of only slightly less length than the distance between adjacent roll stands 11, the links 34 will move away from each other toward their respective roll stands and assume the attitude shown in Figure 3, wherein the free ends 42 ofthe links 34 are disposed beneath and in vertical alinement with the fixed ends 41 when the suction head 23 is in operative position. As shown in Figure 5, the flange 33 serves as a stop or abutment to limit upward movement of the free end 42. The normal tendency of the resilient links 34 to move inwardly away from their respective roll stands creates a clamping effect upon the suction head 23 to insure that the head 23 remains in place.

When it is desired to temporarily move the head 23 to inoperative position, the suction head 23 may be manually depressed to the position shown in Figure 6 to provide access to the front roll 12.

The suction head 23 may be adjusted relative to the roll 12 in a manner similar to that disclosed in my said copending application by adjustment of the plate 32 relative to the screw 31 and by adjustment of the arm 35 relative to the resilient link 34.

It is thus seen that there is provided an improved suction head mounting which permits the suction head to be adjustably and clampingly attached in the desired position relative to the lower'front roll of a textile drafting machine.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. Improved means for supporting suction heads of vacuum, clearing systems adjacent drafting rolls mounted on roll stands. comprising a bracket for each end of said suction head, means connecting said brackets to the proximal surfaces of adjacent roll stands, a resilient link for each of said brackets, said links each having a fixed end and a free end, means rigidly securing the fixed ends of; said links to their respective brackets and means releasably connecting the free ends of said links to respective ends of said suction head, the free ends of said links being normally biased toward each other in their relaxed state to exert inward clamping pressure on the suction head, the free ends of said links also being normally biased upwardly above the fixed ends thereof to urge the suction head toward the drafting rolls, and said links being yieldable to permit the suction head to be moved away from the drafting rolls.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for limiting upward movement of said links andthe suction head carried thereby.

3. A structure according to claim 2 wherein said means comprise a projection extending from each of said brackets engageable by the free ends of the links.

4. In a textile drafting machine having a plurality of drafting rolls, roll stands supporting the drafting rolls and a suction head disposed adjacent the drafting rolls, improved means for supporting said suction head comprising a pair of brackets connected to the proximal surfaces of adjacent roll stands, a pair of resilient connecting links each having a free end portion and a fixed end portion, connecting the fixed end of each link to one of said brackets, the free end portions of said resilient connecting links being normally biased upwardly above the fixed end of said links and the free ends of said links also being normally biased inwardly toward each other, means carried by the free ends of said links for engaging corresponding ends of said suction head, the free end portions of said links being movable under pressure to a point beneath and in vertical alinement with the fixed end of said links, and means carried by said bracket for limiting upward movement of the free ends of said links.

5 In a textile drafting machine having a plurality of drafting rolls, a roll stands supporting the drafting rolls and a suction head disposed adjacent the drafting rolls, the combination of improved mounting units for connecting the suction head to adjacent roll stands, said mounting units each comprising a resilient link and means for connecting the suction head to corresponding ends of the resilient links, means rigidly securing the other ends of the links to the proximal surfaces of adjacent roll stands, said resilient links being biased inwardly toward each other to clampingly secure the suction head therebetween, said resilient links also being biased upwardly to urge said suction head toward the drafting rolls, and said resilient links being yieldable both laterally and vertically to permit adjustment of the suction head.

6. A structure according to claim 5 wherein means are provided for limiting movement of said resilient links to hold said suction head in a predetermined position relative to said drafting rolls.

7. In a textile drafting machine having a plurality of drafting rolls, roll stands supporting the drafting rolls and a suction head disposed adjacent the drafting rolls, the combination of improved mounting units for connecting opposite ends of the suction head to adjacent roll stands, said mounting units each comprising a bracket adjustably connected to the respective roll stand, an inherently biased leaf spring link connected at one end to said bracket and a connecting arm adjustably mounted on the free end of said leaf spring link and adjustably connected to the respective end of the suction head, said leaf spring links being inherently biased upwardly to urge said suction head toward the drafting rolls and being yieldable to permit the suction head to be moved away from the drafting rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,126,500 Petrea Aug. 9, 1938 FOREiQN PATENTS 497,625 Belgium Sept. 15, 1950 501,924 Belgium Mar. 31, 1951 665,201 Great Britain Jan. 16, 1952 677,071 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1952 

